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Representing the 30th District of CALIFORNIA

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Sherman Leads 83 House Members in Effort to Invite PM Modi to Address Congress

Jul 22, 2014

Press Release

Washington, D.C. – Representative Brad Sherman (D-CA), a senior Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, is spearheading an effort along with Rep. Ted Poe and Rep. Eni Faleomavaega to request that Congressional leadership invite Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address a Joint Session of Congress during the Prime Minister’s expected visit to the United States in late September.

“I am pleased that 82 of my colleagues have joined me in this effort to invite Prime Minister Modi to speak before a Joint Session of Congress,” said Rep. Sherman. “The voices in Congress are growing, and the message is clear: the United States and India have a unique relationship based on shared democratic values. Prime Minister Modi’s visit is an opportunity to further expand this relationship.”

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit Washington in late September 2014. Given the importance of our relationship with India, we ask you to invite Prime Minister Modi to address a Joint Session of Congress.

As you know, India recently held the largest democratic exercise in history; about 550 million people voted in free and fair elections.

Since recognizing India’s independence in 1947, the United States and India’s relationship has steadily grown. The United States and India share many core values, including religious pluralism, individual freedom, the rule of law, and electoral democracy.

We have an opportunity to build on the U.S-India strategic partnership to the benefit of both our nations. India is a growing economic power in a strategically important region of the world. New Delhi plays a critical role in regional peace and security.

In each of the last three decades, a Prime Minister of India has addressed a Joint Session of Congress, and the upcoming visit of Prime Minister Modi will allow us to continue that tradition.